History at Risk: Activism and the Contested Past around the World

2020年6月7日，在布里斯托，爱德华·科尔斯顿的雕像被推倒，这是黑人生命也是物质抗议活动的一部分。科尔斯顿是一个奴隶主和慈善家;他的雕像几十年来一直是抗议的主题。这座雕像的倒塌引发了英国乃至全球范围内关于公共记忆性质的辩论。全国各地的城市开始审查他们的公共领域纪念活动的做法。围绕科尔斯顿雕像、殖民主义遗产和公共记忆的争论，展示了一个前所未有的时刻，人们正在审视英国如何以及为什么在公共场合使用史学。它们也是世界各地一个更广泛现象的一部分。在全球范围内，民粹主义有效地利用了民族主义对历史的定义，试图压制反对意见。在巴西、澳大利亚、波兰、匈牙利、哥伦比亚、新西兰、意大利和美国等国，过去已经成为保守右翼攻击对手的代理手段。为特定的历史叙述和阴谋论辩护的主张已经成为包括新纳粹分子在内的右翼团体的战斗口号。极右翼和极左翼团体、保守派媒体和民粹主义政客对社区的历史实践者施加了令人难以置信的压力。这是一个历史的风险时期。这也是一个机会的时刻。该网络力求对这些紧迫的全球辩论作出反应。该网络认为公共历史的新背景下，有争议的历史本身正在受到质疑，复杂性的合法性受到挑战的政治气候。该项目将寻求在全球范围内理解这场危机，在世界各地的社区和从业人员之间建立联系，并分享教学和纪念实践。该网络与曼彻斯特市理事会于2021年设立的“历史、故事和声音”项目合作，考虑在该市开展公共领域纪念活动，将寻求了解当前纪念活动的危机，与当地社区一起制定切实可行的解决方案，并为教授有争议的历史创造教育资源。曼彻斯特将作为该网络的本地案例研究，使强大的，可持续的和协作的工作得以开展。地方，国家和国际从业人员之间的思想和实践交流将允许对移民，全球化，道德和文化交流问题进行反思。曼彻斯特是欧洲最多样化的城市之一，使用超过200种语言。这也是一个激进时刻的地方，从彼得卢到妇女参政权，从罗奇代尔先锋队到FC曼联，都被纪念为城市结构的一部分。该网络将与该市的许多组织合作，但重点是五个合作伙伴，以强调共同生产的研究和共同开发的想法。

In Bristol on 7 June 2020 the statue of Edward Colston was pulled down as part of the Black Lives Matter protests. Colston was a slave owner and philanthropist; his statue had been the subject of protest for decades. The toppling of the statue led to debates around the UK and globally about the nature of public memory. Cities around the country began to review their public realm commemoration practices. The debates around the Colston statue, the legacies of colonialism, and public memory demonstrate an unprecedented moment of scrutiny about how and why historisy is used in public in the UK. They are also part of a wider phenomenon around the world. Globally, populism has efficiently used nationalist definitions of history to seek to silence opposition. In countries such as Brazil, Australia, Poland, Hungary, Colombia, New Zealand, Italy and the United States, the past has become a proxy means for the conservative right to attack opponents. Claims rooted in defending particular narratives of history and conspiracy theories have become a rallying cry for right-wing groups including neo-Nazis. Far-right and far-left groups, conservative media, and populist politicians have put incredible pressure upon historical practitioners in communities. This is a period of risk for history. It is also a moment of opportunity. This network seeks to respond to these urgent global debates. The network considers the new contexts for public history in a political climate where contested histories are themselves being contested and the legitimacy of complexity is challenged. The project will seek to understand this crisis in a global context, to make connections between communities and practitioners across the world, and to share pedagogical and commemorative practice. Working in tandem with Manchester's 'Histories, Stories and Voices' project, set up by Manchester City Council in 2021 to consider public realm commemoration in the city, the network will seek to understand the current crisis of commemorative practice and to develop practical solutions with local communities as well as creating educational resources for teaching contested histories. Manchester will act as a local case-study for the network, enabling strong, sustainable, and collaborative work to be undertaken. The exchange of ideas and practices between local, national and international practitioners will allow reflection upon issues of migration, globalisation, ethics and cultural exchange. Manchester is one of the most diverse cities in Europe, with over 200 languages spoken. It is also a place in which radical moments, from Peterloo to Suffragettism to the Rochdale Pioneers to FC United, have been memorialised as part of the fabric of the city. The network will work with many organisations in the city but focus on five partners to emphasise co-production of research and co-development of ideas.